Page 71 of Hello Forever
“I’ll do it,” Axel volunteered. “I can prep vegetables one-handed.”
“Do you cook?” Amy asked. She jumped up and offered himahand.
“Sure,” he said, standing up slowly. “Doesn’teverybody?”
“EverybodybutCax.”
“He’ll have to learn now,” Axel said. “He has three kidstofeed.”
“We’ll have some fun teaching him,” Amyagreed.
I followed my two favorite people into the kitchen so they could tease mesomemore.
ChapterTwenty-Four
Axel
Cax’s brotherMark snuck looks at me all throughdinner.
I never made eye contact, because I didn’t think he’d want me to. I couldn’t imagine the emotions he was dealing with. His father put a lot of shit in his head and then got hauled offtojail.
He’d come around, though. He was young, and Cax was good to him. Even though I’d watched the kid say awful things to Cax, my boyfriend was gentle to Mark at the dinner table. It practically broke my heart to see the tenderness he had for his brothers. All the sacrifices he’d made to stay close to his family made sense to me now that I could see itfirsthand.
Amy helped, too. She was upbeat and fun, and it was easy to see how well the boys liked her. She was awesome. I felt not a shred of lover’s jealousy that she’d once slept with Cax. Instead, I was just happy to know he’d had someone like Amy on his side all these years. She made his past seemlessgrim.
We ate her delicious cooking together, and the boys cleared the table. Then Amy dug a pack of cards out of her purse and began to shuffle. “Who’s dealing the firstpokergame?”
All three of Cax’s brothers wanted in. So I anted up a few of the plastic poker chips that Scotty had run to find, and played a hand. But after a few minutes I became ridiculouslytired.
Cax noticed without my having to say anything. “I’m going to take you home now,” he said, pushing back hischair.
“Nice meeting you, Axel,” Amy said, shuffling thecards.
“Likewise.” I got up and looked around formycoat.
“Actually,” Cax said, clearing his throat. “I’m going to make sure Axel’s walkway has been shoveled. It snowed again today. So I might be a littlewhile.”
“Yep,” Amy said without looking up. “You take care of that walkway. I’ll tell Scotty when it’s time for bed.” Cax left the room without a word. Amy looked up at me andwinked.
“Goodnight,” I said toeveryone.
“Night!” Scotty yelled, reaching for hiscards.
Jared muttered something that was probably “goodnight.” And Mark saidnothing.
* * *
“You knowJosh shovels my steps, right?” I said as Cax and I motored toward myapartment.
“I’m counting on it,” he said. “Because I needed a little time alone with you. Do you have groceries? Are you really okay?” He shook his head. “I hate that you’re alone. I’d ask you to stay withusbut…”
“I’m fine,” I said softly. “Really.”
He parked beside Caleb’s Toyota and walked me up the stairs. They’d been shoveled to perfection, ofcourse.
Inside, he helped me out of my coat, his eyes warm. “I love you,” he whispered. “I’m sorry it’s been way too long since I said it inperson.”
I stepped into his body and hugged him with my good arm. “It’s okay, Cax. Everything is going tobeokay.”
